1. Technical Field
The apparatus and method of the invention relate generally to the performance of surgical procedures. More specifically, they relate to an apparatus and method for protecting a patient's face during surgical procedures performed in the prone (face down) position while resting on a support surface.
It is well known in the art that a patient is especially vulnerable to facial injury when surgery is performed in the prone position. The nose, certain nerves, and especially the eyes are all at risk of compression injury any time an anesthetized patient is resting on his or her face during surgery. It is thus critically important that some means be provided for supporting the patient's head in a manner that protects the sensitive areas from any pressure during the surgical procedure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Existing techniques for supporting the patient's head and protecting the face during prone-position procedures are generally unreliable and potentially ineffective. Commonly, anesthesiologists will use foam rubber donuts and stacks of small towels to support the head. However, the doctor frequently is operating in the blind, not knowing for certain the eyes and nose are not being subjected to pressure, since the position of the nose, mouth, or eyes can not be verified visually by the physician once the donut and towels have been installed.
Another prior art technique is to use a pair of pads connected by plastic arms with the forehead and chin resting on the pads. A major problem with this technique is that the total weight of the head is distributed on only these two points. This may cause skin sloughing at these two points.
An additional problem with prior art devices is their inability to provide for adjustment of the patient's head relative to the torso and support surface. Generally, these prior art devices limit the patient's head position to the "neutral" or centerline position. It is generally desirable however that a patient's head be adjustable relative to the torso and support surface to accommodate different surgical techniques and procedures.
A further limitation of prior art devices are their lack of any provision for the collection and draining away of any patient secretions during the surgical procedure. All patients to varying degrees "drool" during surgical procedures. Additionally, and of more concern, patients will often drain mucus or blood during the procedure. This is potentially hazardous to operating room personnel as it may expose them to infectious agents.
An illustration of these prior art devices and the problems associated therewith, is Voss, U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,064. Voss provides a means for supporting a patient's head over a large area by using a foam donut, thereby eliminating the problem of pressure points. However, there is no provision for drainage of any secretions. Neither is there any means for adjusting the position of the patient's head in either a rolling side to side direction or a pivot forward or backward. Additionally, due to the foam nature of the headrest, the physician is not able to visually verify the position of the patient's eyes and nose once the patient's head has contacted the headrest. Also, due to the fixed structure of the foam, points of relatively high pressure on the patient's face are still likely and somewhat unpredictable due to variations in facial structures.
Therefore, it is a prime objective of the present invention to provide an apparatus which is capable of supporting and protecting a patient's face during prone-position surgical procedures.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which is capable of supporting a patient's face during prone-position procedures in a variety of selectively fixed angles relative to the patient's torso and the support surface.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which provides support for the patient's face over an extended region permitting the weight of the head to be distributed over a larger surface area.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which permits the doctor to visually verify that the patient's nose, eyes, and other facial structures are not being exposed to any pressure during the surgery.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a facial support apparatus which is at least partially reusable.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus where the inflation of the mask may be varied to allow for maximum surface area contact with the skin, thereby minimizing the amount of pressure applied at any given point on the skin.
Finally, an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which permits the collection and drainage of any secretions by the patient during the surgical procedure.